Pages

Monday, January 5, 2015

Sparkly Butterfly Pattern

Tom has been joining Ellie and I on our usual long walks by rivers and oceans. We catch glimpses of bright white migrating birds against the low winter sun. These quiet days are so nice. I've been making lots of soups for our lunches too. My healthy Asian Noodle Soup and my Reboot Soup are easy and delicious. We have crisp white wine with creamy brie & crackers for an evening snack. Cozy meals make us feel more content during the frosty New England months. Other pursuits of contentment involve soft blankets, binge watching GIRLS and stitching small projects. I love to embroider in wintertime, don't you?

During the colder months, I'm even more at home with my stash of linens, hoops and threads. While we're on the subject of needlework supplies, I made this Vintage Pinkeep from a small, funky thrift store bowl and a heavy-duty magnet.

This luminous butterfly is stitched with sapphire-blue silk thread. The blue reminds me of the ocean: intense and indigo. To make it more luminous, I added a few random half cross stitches to the butterfly's wings with DMC Light Effects Floss. This work is done on plain white linen. But you can also stitch this pattern on shimmery opalescent linen for maximum sparkle. Use your hoop to frame it or buy an inexpensive small hoop from Michael's. Display it on a wall or shelf as a pretty piece of handmade art.

Stitch away stress, while a butterfly flows from your needle!

Blue Butterfly Tutorial

DMC Light Effects Floss Adds A Touch Of Sparkle

For This Project You'll Need

A 6 by 6 inch piece of 32-count white belfast linen or 32-count white opalescent belfast linen. If 32-count linen is too difficult for you, you can stitch this on 28-count white or opalescent white linen but it will be a little bigger.

Size-24 tapestry needle. I use Bohin Brand.

Embroidery Scissors

A pencil

A needle threader (optional, but very helpful)

Instructions

If you're new to cross stitching please click HERE for a more detailed tutorial.

The Floss

Embroidery floss is composed of six easily separated strands. Cut about a 12-15 inch piece of floss and separate the single, thicker strand into six individual strands of floss. You will use two strands to thread your needle for this project.

The Linen

Place your linen fabric in the embroidery hoop. Thread your needle with two strands of thread. A needle threader makes this task much easier.

Tip: If you find the ends of the fabric are starting to fray, take the fabric out of the hoop and cut the edges with pinking shears or cover the edges with artist tape. In a pinch, cover the ends with masking tape. Remember to remove it as soon as you finish stitching this project.

Start Stitching

Find the approximate center of the piece of fabric. Start stitching by following the chart below. It helps to start with the butterfly body. If you print this pattern out, you can use a pencil to mark the chart as you complete the stitches.

Stitch the butterfly wings in the Splendor Silk Floss color 970 (or DMC floss color 312) and the body in DMC dark brown floss color 3371. Using one strand of the DMC Light Effects Floss, place random half cross stitches over some of the completed cross stitches on the butterfly wings (this is an optional step). Use a single strand of blue or brown or DMC Light Effects Floss to back stitch the antenna.

To end a thread, run your thread through the stitches on the back of the fabric then clip off the end. Frame the piece in your embroidery hoop. Cut away any extra fabric. Hang on a wall or place on a shelf and enjoy!

If you're getting more serious about cross stitching, it's a good idea to invest in a magnifier and a standing or table top OttLite.